


The Spring

by cassyl



Series: Magic for Beginners [3]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: AU, Gen, Magic, card tricks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-22
Updated: 2012-09-22
Packaged: 2017-11-14 20:41:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/519310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cassyl/pseuds/cassyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John asks Sherlock to explain a card trick.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Spring

The cards snap seamlessly from Sherlock’s right hand to his left. He’s been at it for nearly twenty minutes, arcing the deck from one hand to the other in a graceful flourish.

They’re caught one of those rare in-between moments that nearly send Sherlock spare. This time, they’re waiting for a stagehand to put a blown circuit breaker to rights so they can get on with rehearsal. John could sit around watching Sherlock practice card tricks all afternoon, but he can tell from the rustle of the cards that Sherlock is getting impatient.

“If I thought of a card right now,” John ventures, “could you guess it?”

Sherlock spares him a glance. “It wouldn’t be a guess, John, surely you must know that by now.” He taps the deck against his palm, organizing the stack more tightly, and then repeats the spring in the opposite direction, left to right. The cards move so quickly that they blur into a bone-white line.

“Then how d’you do the trick?”

“ _I_ don’t do that sort of trick, John,” Sherlock replies haughtily. Sherlock likes to pretend he’s above performing conventional magic tricks.

John shakes his head, grinning. “Right, yes, sorry. How does _one_ do it?”

The cards are still flying easily between Sherlock’s hands, although he isn’t even looking. His eyes are fixed on John, bright and calculating. “Would you like me to show you?”

“Go on, then.”

“All right, go ahead,” Sherlock says. The cards make a crisp, even susurration as they course between his nimble fingers, almost a purr. “Think of a card.”

“All right, ah . . .” John feels his eyes rolling back as he tries to call a specific card to mind. “OK, got one.”

Sherlock doesn’t even hesitate. “The Ace of Spades.”

He laughs, giddy. “Got it in one.” He’ll never get tired of being amazed by Sherlock.

Sherlock smirks, though he tries to hide it by staring down at the deck of cards in his hands. John can see the corners of his mouth curling up in satisfaction.

“So?” John prompts. “How’d you know?”

“Probability, John. The Ace of Spades is, statistically, the most likely choice.” Trust Sherlock to know this. He probably did a study.

John makes an appreciative humming noise. “That makes sense, actually.”

Sherlock’s eyebrow quirks. “Makes sense?”

“Well, you know, because of the song.” Sherlock’s blank expression makes it clear that he doesn’t know, and John can’t help laughing. Of course Sherlock’s memorized the statistical likelihood of John’s choosing every card in the deck but his knowledge of popular culture is virtually nil. Of course. It’s nice to be reminded that there are some areas in which John is actually the more knowledgeable of the two of them.

But now Sherlock is scowling down at his cards, all prickly wounded pride, and John can’t have that, so he says, “So just how likely am I to choose the Ace of Spades?”

“Twenty-five percent,” Sherlock says.

“What if I hadn’t picked it?”

“But you did.”

“Yes,” he says slowly, “but what if I didn’t. What about the other seventy-five percent?”

Sherlock blows out an irritated breath, and John has to smother another grin, because he isn’t fooled for a second.

“Fifty percent of the time,” Sherlock explains in his most superior tone, “people choose one of only four cards. After that, certain cards are still more likely – face cards tend to be favored, for instance – while others can be eliminated – hardly anyone ever picks low-value cards like twos or threes. Beyond that, there are other cues – men and women tend to favor different cards, those who’re intent on being unpredictable make certain all-too-predictable choices.” He shrugs, tossing his head slightly. It’s supposed to seem indifferent, probably, but John knows better: Sherlock’s hands have stilled, and his eyes are sharp and focused. “It’s simply a matter of reading the situation, John, like any other feat of mentalism.”

John smiles. “I see.”

Sherlock raises his eyebrows, clearly doubtful. But John is more perceptive that Sherlock gives him credit for. He may not be able to spot the workings of a trick from the back of the house the way Sherlock can, but he notices subtler things, things that sometimes even Sherlock doesn’t see.

He sees, for instance, the way Sherlock’s face turns light and mobile when John asks him to explain some element of his act, the small flex of pleasure in his lips. John’s come to understand that Sherlock has built his career on keeping secrets – never revealing how he knows the things he does about people or how he pulls off all his tricks onstage, because telling would destroy the illusion. But sharing in the secret only deepens John’s appreciation, and he’s happy to listen to whatever trade secrets Sherlock is willing to share. He loves this, sitting beside Sherlock on the dim, empty stage, leaning together in confidence, their knees just barely brushing. Sherlock can pretend all he likes that he’s annoyed, or that John is a hopeless student, but John knows just how much it means to Sherlock to have an audience – perhaps especially if that audience is John.

“Here, try me again,” John says.

“All right.” Sherlock’s clear eyes are fixed on John and only John, the deck still between his hands. “Think of a card.”

This time, John thinks of one immediately.

“Six of Clubs,” Sherlock says.

John shakes his head. “Sorry, no.”

“No?” He looks genuinely surprised.

“King of Hearts.”

A moment later, the lights come back on and they get back to work.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a great study on the [psychology of card tricks](http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=revealing-psychology-playing-card-magic) by Jay Olson. The flourish Sherlock is practicing while they wait is called the spring -- hence the title. You can see a tutorial [here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE1P7fINjX8).Thanks to those who've expressed an interest in this series so far! If anyone else would like to take up the gauntlet on this premise, I would be so delighted to read it. No ownership implied, no offense intended. Please do let me know if you enjoy.


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